HISTORY OF RAZZ POKER
For seasoned poker players and those new to the game, Razz Poker is a fun and popular variation of the traditional game that has really taken off in online casinos in recent times. Although the origins of Razz Poker are a little unclear, it emerged in the 1900s at about the same time as Stud Poker, and was likely to have been in the U.S. as there is a long history of poker being played on Mississippi riverboats during the 1800s.
WHAT IS RAZZ POKER?
The game takes a little application to get used to the rules and is sometimes know as 7 Card Stud Hi Low – the top hand possible in this poker game is A, 2, 3, 4 & 5. When you master the game however, it quickly becomes one that you won’t be able to leave alone, and by applying some strategy it begins to get very interesting indeed! The game is played by 2 to 8 people using a standard 52 card deck.
RULES OF RAZZ
Similar to Stud poker, three cards are placed face down so that the player can see them, and the other four are left visible to the rest of the players. The task is to put together the lowest hand you can from the 5 to 7 cards that are dealt, and the Ace counts as a number one in Razz Poker.
RAZZ BEGINNER TIPS
Here is a guide to some of the terms you will come across in this game so that you can understand razz poker rules and how to play razz poker in more detail:
Antes & Dealer Button – this button signifies the ‘dealer’ at the start of each hand, and the order is always that the first card goes to the left of the dealer button and moves to each player in turn.
Fixed Limit Poker: Fixed games stakes meaning that no player can wager more or less than the game stakes specify.
First Betting Round: traditionally this is referred to as ‘3rd street’ and the rounds that come after this are 4th street, 5th street etc., and extra cards are dealt in each new ‘street’ round. As the game progresses some players will fold, and unless a showdown happens the winning player receives the pot.
Hole and Door Cards: Players are each dealt 3 cards. ‘Hole cards’ are the ones that are face down and can only be seen by the individual player. The third hand is dealt face up and is known as the ‘door card’ which is visible to all players.
RAZZ STRATEGIES
As with all poker games, watching carefully and having a good memory about the hands of your opponents will go a long way to keeping track of the cards on the table, and then you will get an idea of how good your hand is.
One trick is to keep an eye out for what are known as ‘dead’ or ‘live’ cards in your opponent’s hand. If a player has cards that match yours then these are ‘dead’ cards as you will know that you probably won’t be able to draw any pairs.
Those who become experienced Razz poker players know that it’s a mistake to keep playing a weak hand and they learn when to fold. As you get into the game you will start to recognise the signs of when to fold then you don’t waste your bankroll.
TIPS FOR RAZZ POKER
There are certain things you can do that will help you to get better at this intriguing game and here are some key razz poker tips:
- Watch out for weaker players and force them to play heads up pots with you – the less players you have in the game the better your chances of winning
- Don’t check the fold button too much or you will miss chances to steal the blinds
- Don’t call raises with a weak hand and know when to fold
- If you seem to be facing confident opponents try a slow hand to convince other players that your hand is not as good as it seems. They will hopefully underestimate your cards and allow you to get up to a higher ‘street’ round.
- As with other poker games, learn to be a keen observer, keep your cool and know when to back out of a game